Grave-protector



M. IRION. Grave-Protector.

No. 227,257. Patented May. 4 1880;

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3 with hinged 40 being made to 5 deposited in EJNITED STATES MATTHEYV To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Louisville, in the county of J eiferson and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and 5 useful Improvementsin Grave-Protectors; and

I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same,

reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification- Figure l beinga perspective view, showing a grave, one end of a coffin, and the position 0f the protectors with reference thereto. Fig.

2 is an elevation, showing one of the protectors with its hinged projections and portions of the connecting-bars. Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of a portion of one of the legs of the protector,'showing the manner of applying the hinged projection, and a spring for preventing it from closing down upon the leg as it is being driven into the ground; and Fig. 4

is a perspective view, showing the manner of 2 5 uniting with the staple-connecting bars which extend over the top of the coffin.

Oorrespondingletters denote like parts in all of the figures.

This invention relates to what I term a 0 coffin-protector, and it consists in providing a device which in its general outline has the form of staples connected by bars of metal extending lengthwise of the coflin, said staples being furnished near the lowerends of theirlegs projections and springs, arranged as hereinafter described, whereby, when they are being driven into the earth, said projections will assume a nearly-vertical position, as shown in Fig. 1, but which, upon an attempt withdraw them, will assume the position shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 4, and thus prevent such withdrawal.

It is known that bodies of persons are sometimes taken from coffins after they have been their graves, and my present inven tion has for its object the rendering of such an operation, if not impossible, far more difficult of accomplishment than it has heretofore been.

IVIA'ITHEW IRION, of

PATENT OFFIQEs IRION, OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY.

GRAVE-PROTECTO R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 227,257, dated May {1, 1880. Application filed February 19, 1880.

use bars of metal cast the space between them varying according tothe size thereof. After the coffin has been lowered into the grave, two, three, or more of these staples means of bars D D, and then driven into the earth in such a manner that said bars will rest upon the upper surface of the coffin, any desired number of staples being used.

For the purpose of rendering it difficult and as nearly impossible as practicable to remove the device after it has been placed in position, each of the legs of the staples, near their lower ends, are provided with a hinged projection, B, one end of which is inserted into aslot formed in said leg, while the outer end. or portion is hinged to the part within the leg in such a manner that when the leg is being driven into the earth the projection will turn upward, as shown in Fig. 1, it being prevented from passing up so far as to prevent it from turning outward upon an attempt being made to withdraw it by means of a spring, 0, attached to the outer surfaces of the leg.

Should an attempt be made to remove the device for the purpose of taking the coffin from the grave or the body from the coffin, the hinged projections B will, upon a slight upward movement of the staples, assume the position shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 4, and thus prevent them from being removed, and by usin a suflicient number of such staples it will be In constructing devices of this character I are to be united together by ples united by transverse bars and constructed substantially as herein described, the lower portions of the legs of said staples having hinged projections, which,when the staples are being driven into the earth, will close down upon springs attached to said legs, but which, upon an attempt being made to Withdraw them, will open outward, and thus prevent the removal, as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as 10 my own I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

MATH. IRION.

Witnesses:

FRANK Tonzre, JAMES H. WYATT. 

